Railway-signal



(No Model.)

4' Sheets-Sheet 1. iH. MCL. ABERNBTHY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented July 1'7, 1894..

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. MCL. ABERNETHY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented July 1'7, 1894.

@vih/wom wm 22;@ M., f @tiem/wfg@ (No Model.) @Sheets-'Sheet 3'. H. MCL.ABERNETHY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Ne. 523,257. Patented July 17, 1894.

L J L I jill I 4 Sheets--Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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No. 523,257.v

Patented July 17, 1894.

' UNITED STATES;

PATENT ()EEICE HARRY vMCLEAN ARERNETIIY, OE NEWARK, (OHIO.

RAI LWAY-SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,257, dated July417, 1894.

Application mea March 20. 1893.

Tol a/ZZ whom zit-may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY MCLEAN ABER- NETHY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing inthe city of Newark, county of Licking, and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in semaphore signalingdevices of that general class in which a danger signal is normallydisplayed, and its particular object is to provide the signal with analarm situated at any desired point and which will sound continuouslywhen the character of the signal is changed, the alarm preferablycontinuing until the dangersignal is displayed.

A further object of my invention is to simplify and improve the variousdetails of construction of such a device as more fully set forthhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is an elevation of the upperportion of asemaphore signal, also illustrating the operating devices atthe tower or signal station and the connections between such tower orsignal station and the semaphore. Fig. 2 is'a sectional elevation on theline 2--2,Fig. 3, of the signaling lamp. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionon the line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the lampstructure. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is an elevation ofthe burner and oil receptacle of the lamp. Fig. 7 is a side elevation,partly in section, of the operating device and alarm. Fig. Sis'an endelevation of the operating devices in the tower or signal station. Fig.9 is a perspective view of a detail of construction. Fig. 10`

is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner of mountingthe operating levers at the signal tower. Fig. 11 is a side view of oneof the operating levers, illustrating in section the means for securingthe same to the signal post. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 areviews of details of construction which will be referred to morespecifically hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a semaphore post of any approvedconstruction, situated at any convenient point on the road so that thesignal displayed may be readily seen by the trainmen and having its sig-Serial hlm/66,764. (No model.)

naling devices connected by suitable operating rods to a signal tower orstation B.

The upper end of the post A is provided with a suitable lamp C havingcolored lenses so arranged as to alter the color of the lights inaccordance with the alteration in position of the semaphore arms D, D,so as to provide for the display of a signal during either night or day.

Referring iirst to the lamp, d, a represent suitable end castingsprovided with tapered annular flanges a2, over which the cylinder.casing o of the lamp is fitted, the end sections being drawn towardeach other by boltscand drawing the tapered flanges c2 within thecylindrical casing until the parts fit snugly together; immediatelybelow this cylindrical' casing is a chamber formed by` a casing cl whichserves with the cylindrical casing to protect the colored lenses as theyare moved out of the path of the lamp rays, and extending centrallythrough both casings is the cylindrical chamber E, open at its lower endand adapted to receive the lamp proper E; the construction of the latterbeing more clearly shown in Fig. 6, and comprising a cylindrical bodyprovided with an upper flange e, in which are cut diametrioally-oppositeslots e and near this lower portion is provided, on lines at rightangles to these slots, with lugs e2; the Iiange e being adapted to restupon a shoulder f within the casing of the chamber D and the lugs e2being adapted to rest against the sides of the easing, in order tosteady the lamp within the casing and ,prevent lateral movement of thesame, the relative arrangement ofl the supporting devices is such thatwhen the lamp is inserted in the lower end of the chamber E and turnedpart way around, its iiange e will rest ,upon'the lugs f and the lugs e2will extend to the casing and prevent the displacement of the lamp.

On the diametral line of the case b two openings g are made in thecasing E, the openings being directly in line with converging re iectorsG extending to openings formed in the heads a, c', and being secured toand carried by said heads; the inner ends of the reflectors are at asufficient distance from the casing E to provide for the ready entrancebetween the two of the lens frame H, which is mounted upon a shaft hadapted to suitable bearings in the opposite end frames a, ot' and whichmay also be provided with securlng devices to take the place of one ofthe holding rods or bolts c. p

. The device as herein illustrated and described is double, so thatsignals may be displayed from both ends of the lamp casing, and to thatend two lens frames I-I are provided, each carrying a red lens 72,2 anda green lens h' the normal position of the lens being that illustratedby dotted lines in Fig. l, with the red lens h2 directly in line withthe opening g in the casing E, showing a red light, while if moved tothe position shown in Fig. 2, a green lens h' will be exposed, signalingcaution, and if moved farther to the position shown in Fig. 3, the lightis clear and indicates that the track is clear.

Immediately below the end frames a, a', are opposite end frames i, i',in which are formed suitable bearings for shafts I, I', which carry thesemaphore arms D, the latter being provided, as more fully set forthhereinafter, with segments t2, i2, intermeshing with each other so thatthe movement of one will effect a corresponding movement of the other.

Intermeshing with one of the segments i2 is a segment t3, mounted uponone end of the shaft h, and also mounted on the shaft I is an arm t4, towhich is hung a weight t5, by means of a link t6, the weight beingsufficient to normally keep the semaphore arms extended as shown byfulllines in Fig. l; and to keep the lens frame up with the red lens infront of the reflectors so as to display the red light.

The lamp structure as a whole is supported on top of the post A by meansof suitable supporting arms .I extending from the frames t', t" to thereduced upper end of the post, which is provided with a clamping collarj extending around both the rods J and the upper end of the post, andserving to securely hold the rods in position, while to protect thesegments and other operating parts which might otherwise be exposed tothe weather, I provide suitable shields K, having their upper ends soshaped as to' fit partway around the casing and extending over andshielding the exposed parts of the mechanism.

In order to provide for the ready attachment of the semaphore arms witha View to simplify the construction, I preferably make each of thesegments 2in a single piece with a fastening plate D provided at itsopposite edges with suitable turnedup anges D2 which may t over the endsof the semaphore arms and hold the latter firmly in position, thusdispensing with the usual expensiveconnections commonly in use; and ifdesirable the counterbalancing weight may be cast in a single piece withthe semaphore segment and fastening plate, thus dispensing with theeounterbalancing weight t5 on the shaft I.

Ata point some distance below the top of the post A, or it may be at theextreme end of such post, is secured a plate L provided with aprojecting stud or screw bolt Z, on which is mounted a lever providedwith arms Z', Z2, Z3, Z", the arms Z', Z4 being connected, respectively,to the opposite ends of the levers m, keyed to the shaft I, and theopposite ends of the levers Z2 and Z3 being connected, re-` spectively,to the ends of a lever or casting n, having four arms 1t', n2, nm, thearms n2 and n3 being connected, respectively, to the arms o', 02, of theoperating lever O, keyed to a shaft O', mounted in suitable bearings ina supporting frame T in the signal tower or station. As shown in Figs.1, l0, 11 and l2 the four armed lever has two of its arms in differentvertical planes from the other two.

The rods which serve to connect the various arms of the levers describedare of a charaeter more clearly illustrated in Figs. 13 to 16,inclusive, and comprise opposite connecting plates Q, Q', situated ateach end of the connecting bar R, each plate being provided with anenlarged or thickened end-portion, in which is formed a slot q of acharacter more clearly shown in Fig. 13, and extending from the end ofthe plate up to and around the connecting bolt q', which serves .to holdthe ends of the clamping plates in position, it being observed, however,that enough metal is left between the bolt and the slot to prevent anycontact of the rod R with such bolt, and

as the opposite ends of this rod are shaped to correspond to the slot,it is merely necessary to place the ends of the rods in position in theslots and clamp the two plates together by means of the bolt q', forminga perfectly rigid and tight bar from pivot point to pivot point of thelevers m, and Z', Z4, and by manufacturing the levers in a single piece,I can produce them much more rapidly and economically and, at the sametime, any varying of the position which the leversw might otherwiseassume is avoided and the expense of fitting is lessened.

The frame T in which is mounted the shaft or bolt O is preferablyprovided with a circular face r, and at s, s this face is notched toarrest the movement of the operating lever R', which is secured to saidshaft, and isprovided with a hinged pawl t adapted to engage with suchrecesses. The normal position of this lever is that illustrated in Fig.l, the weight t5 holding all of the parts as shown in said figure, withthe red light exposed, the semaphore arms on the horizontal line, asshown in Fig. 1. This lever mayhave assumed a vertical position when thedevice is secured to the iioor.

It will be seen that when the operator moves the lever R' up, thearrangement of levers and their connecting rods is such that by the timethe pawl t arrives at the first notch, s, the semaphore arms will haveassumed the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the lens frameH will have assumed the position shown in Fig. 2, exposing a green lightand signaling caution; a still further movement of the lever R or untilthe pawl t engages I OAO IIO XIS

with the notch, s', will cause the movement of the lens frame to theposition shown in Fig. 3, exposing a clear white light, and, at the sametime, the semaphore arms will have dropped to a vertical position,signaling the engineer to proceed. It is necessary, however, in changingthese signals, that the operator remain at the operating lever, at alltimes, as in the event of his leaving it the weight i5 will immediatelyreturn all ot' the parts to the position shown in Fig. l, displaying thedanger signal, and it is in order to prevent the operator securing theoperating lever at safety or caution signal that my inventionparticularly is made. To this end, thereforefthe operating lever R isprovided with a projecting portion in the form of a toe u which passesinto the path of a spring n secured to the frame-work and forming oneterminal of an electric circuit which is energized by a battery V; theopposite terminal of this circuit is formed by a looped contactpiece fusecured in any suitable manner to the frame, and so arranged that themovement of the lever R', eitherto displaya caution or safety signal,will immediately cause these two springs to be brought into contact,coinpleting the circuit and energizing the magnets of an ordinary formof electric bell W, situated either in the tower, signal station, or atany other convenient point, Where due notice will be given that theoperator has moved the danger position, and this alarm will continue andwarn the operator, or other persons, that the signal is being held openand will, to a great extent, prevent any inattention on the part ofthe-operator,`or malicious displacement of the signal by unauthorizedpersons, as a continuous alarm will be given as long as theoperatingleveris away from its normal position.

. The alarm is preferably in an electric circuit as this is the mostadvantageous and cheapest form, but it will be understood that any otherform of alarm may be employed, such, for instance, as a clock-work orpneumatic or other power-actuated alarm, or the alarm may be made simplyby the movement of the lever striking the gong, and may be continuous orintermittent, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- l. In a semaphore railway signal apparatus, thecombination With the operating lever provided with a projecting arm, ofan electric alarm bell located in a circuit having the contact points inthe path of the said arm so that the circuit will be closed and thealarm sounded whenever the l'ever is moved from its normal position,substantially as described.

2. In a semaphore or similar signal normally displayed at danger, thecombination of the signal operating device, a lever for operating thesame, withan alarm adapted to be brought in to action by saidlever whenthe position of such signal is changed from normal, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination, in a sempahore or similar signaling device, of anoperating lever adapted to control the position of such signals, and analarm bell, an electric circuit in which said bell is placed and contactpoints so situated as to bo operated upon by the lever to complete thecircuit when such operating levers are moved from normal position,substantially as specified.

Ll. The combination, of the semaphore post, a lantern supported thereby,a lens frame, lenses therein adapted to be brought into the path of thelight, a shaft carrying said lens frame, semaphore arms, shafts carryingthe same, intermeshing segments mounted upon said shafts, a segmentmounted upon the lens frame shaft and intermeshing with one of thesemaphore segments, and operating levers connecting one of saidsemaphore shafts to an operating device,substantially as specified.

5. In a railway signal device, the covering for the lamp and lensmechanism consisting of the opposite end frames, tapered annular flangesthereon, a casing surrounding said flanges, and devices for securing theend frames together, substantially as specified.

6. In a signal apparatus the light mechanism consisting of the endframes, the reiiectors carried thereby, a cylindrical casing betweenvsuch end frames, a lamp', and lens frames adapted to be moved betweenthe lamp and the inner ends of the reflectors, substantially asspecitied. Y

'7. In a signal apparatus, the light mechan- IOC ism comprising the endframes having refieci tors secured thereto, an annular casing betweensaid frames, a casing extending vertically through said annular casingsupporting a lamp and provided with central openings on either side ofsaid lamp, and lens frames located between the reflectors and theopenings in the vertical casing, substantially as specied.

8. In a railway signaling device, the combination of a signal post,frames supported thereon, a lamp carried by said frames, a shaftextending longitudinally through lthe casing surrounding said lamp towhich is adapted a gear segment and lens frame, ashat't to which issecured the semaphore arm, and connect- -ing devices between thesemaphoreand operating lever, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses:

ALBERT PorKINs, Jas. L. SKIDMORE.

IIO

